30 Day Song Challenge: Day Thirty - Your Favorite Song At This Time Last Year

Day Thirty - Your Favorite Song At This Time Last Year
Robyn
"Dancing On My Own"

The best song of 2010. Robyn is amazing, and puts on one of the best live shows around. If you haven't seen her, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty Nine - A Song From Your Childhood

Day Twenty Nine - A Song From Your Childhood
Electric Light Orchestra
"Turn To Stone"

God I loved this song when I was a kid. And of course, being a kid, I thought they actually flew around in that spaceship. Sucked to find out they didn't :(

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty Eight - A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty

Day Twenty Eight - A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty
George Michael
"Hard Day"

This is an odd category. I am not sure a song has ever made me feel guilty per se. I'm not even how a song could make one feel guilty. I guess this song makes me feel guilty because this guy I went to college with left his George Michael CD in my apartment and I never gave it back to him.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty Seven - A Song That You Wish You Could Play

Day Twenty Seven - A Song That You Wish You Could Play
Slowdive
"Primal"

One of my favorite Slowdive songs, and one of their most powerful songs they played live. I was lucky enough to see them in Atlanta opening up for Catherine Wheel, and this song, which starts out so lovely, and builds and builds into a maelstrom of effect-heavy guitars, was one of the highlights. I've always wanted to be able to play guitar (but just never had the patience to learn) and this is one song I would love to be able to play.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty Six - A Song That You Can Play On An Instrument

Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough (Music Video) from Depeche Mode on Vimeo.

Day Twenty Six - A Song That You Can Play On An Instrument
Depeche Mode
"Just Can't Get Enough"

Probably the simplest synth melody ever written. Plus, you can basically see how to perform it in the video. It's the one song I can actually play on my Roland synthesizer.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty Five - A Song That Makes You Laugh

Day Twenty Five - A Song That Makes You Laugh
Consolidated ft. The Yeastie Girlz
"You Suck"

This song is very rauchy and silly, and always makes me laugh. NSFW, so either put some headphones on or listen to very quietly.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty Four - A Song That You Want To Play At Your Funeral

Day Twenty Four - A Song That You Want To Play At Your Funeral
Dead Can Dance
"Persephone (The Gathering Of Flowers)"

Because I am world-renowned for my blog and music criticism, I, of course, will be widely mourned and praised by millions, and will thus need a suitably somber, tasteful, and large funeral. As my fans and followers throw themselves at my casket weeping openly and hysterically and pulling out their hair and destroying their clothes in the agony of it all, this gorgeous and haunting song shall be playing.*

* Of course, I jest. I doubt I will have anything really. I want to be cremated anyway. It is quite a lovely song, and builds to an amazing crescendo. Suitably over the top and fabulous.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty Three - A Song That You Want To Play At Your Wedding

Day Twenty Three - A Song That You Want To Play At Your Wedding
Sade
"I Couldn't Love You More"

Considering I will likely be dead before Georgia approves of gay marriage, there is little chance of my being married in this state. That aside, this would pretty much be the song of choice for me. And yes, I know it is shocking that I could like something this mainstream, but it's Sade, bitches. She is sublime.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty Two - A Song That You Listen To When You Are Sad

Day Twenty Two - A Song That You Listen To When You Are Sad
The Blue Nile
"From A Late Night Train"

First off, the person who uploaded the song to YouTube titled it wrong, the song is "From A Late Night Train" and not "It's Over Now," which is actually a lyric from the song. Secondly, when I am sad, the best thing to get over it quickly is to wallow in it for a short period and get all the crying a stuff out of my system. I even have a playlist on my iPod for such occasions, stocked full of really gut-wrenching songs that are always guaranteed to make me shed a tear or two, or a bucket. This song has always been a good post-breakup song to get the waterworks flowing.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty-One - A Song You Listen To When You Are Happy

Day Twenty-One - A Song You Listen To When You Are Happy
The Juan Maclean
"Happy House"

Duh! No brainer.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twenty - A Song That You Listen To When You're Angry

Day Twenty - A Song That You Listen To When You're Angry
Ministry
"Thieves"

Before Ministry became a parody of itself, they used to put out some really great industrial metal tracks. This is my favorite track off of The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste, and has enough aggression in it to allow me to vent my anger. So if you hear me playing this song, I suggest you walk away slowly.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Nineteen - A Song From Your Favorite Album

Day Nineteen - A Song From Your Favorite Album
My Bloody Valentine
"Soon"

Loveless is my all time favorite album from shoegaze giants My Bloody Valentine. The album is so perfect there really has been no way for MBV to ever top it. I suppose that is why they haven't recorded another album since. They've toured on and off for the past few years and have indicated they are working on remastering this seminal album as well as their second album Isn't Anything?, but alas, talk of new material comes and goes without anything concrete forming.

"Soon" appeared on an earlier ep called Glider and was always one of my favorite tracks. I was glad it was included on Loveless because it fits the mood of the album and is probably the perfect track to end it. Lush dance beats play off the incredibly distorted and effect heavy guitars. Pure bliss.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Eighteen - A Song That You Wish You Heard On The Radio

Day Eighteen - A Song That You Wish You Heard On The Radio
Chad VanGaalen
"Peace On The Rise"

So basically I should pick every song I listen to, since none of them are played on local radio. I'll be back in a year or so, once I have attached 15,000 songs to this post.

Oh well, I guess I can narrow it to one. This is from one of my favorite albums at the moment. A gorgeous song. Reminds me of old Miracle Legion.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Seventeen - A Song That You Often Hear On The Radio

Day Seventeen - A Song That You Often Hear On The Radio
Jamie xx
"Far Nearer"

Ok, this one is basically impossible for me to answer because I don't listen to the radio. There aren't any regular stations here in Atlanta that play what I like to listen to, and the college radio stations here tend to be filled with lots of hipster DJs that are only interested in playing Bulgarian toe sax music. So I listen to everything on my iPod or through Internet streams.

So, anywho, I have heard this several times on some BBC streams, so this will have to do for now. It is a great, summery track and always gets me in a great mood.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Sixteen - A Song You Used To Love And Now Hate

Day Sixteen - A Song You Used To Love And Now Hate
The Cure
"One Hundred Years"

I used to love this song back in the 80s when it came out. What once was all dark, gloomy, and gothy has since become tedious, tiresome, and droning. When they play it live, which they usually do, it just means I get a bathroom break.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Fifteen - A Song That Describes You

Day Fifteen - A Song That Describes You
The Verve
"Already There"

Again, there is no instruction as to whether the song title or the lyrics of the song are supposed to describe you. If they are going to be that way, I am going to be that way, and not tell any of you why I chose this song. Come up with your own interpretation.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day 14 - A Song No One Would Expect You To Love

Day 14 - A Song No One Would Expect You To Love
Ace Of Base
"Don't Turn Around"

Ace Of Base are awesome. Get over it.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Thirteen - A Song That Is A Guilty Pleasure

Day Thirteen - A Song That Is A Guilty Pleasure
Katy Perry
"Teenage Dream"

There is nothing particularly great about this song, it is just breezy and catchy, and I could never seem to get it out of my head.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Twelve - A Song From A Band You Hate

Day Twelve - A Song From A Band You Hate
Francis and the Lights
"Darling, It's Alright"

These guys opened for La Roux on their last tour and I honest thought they were a comedy act, they were so over the top pretentious and horrid. Sadly, it was all genuine.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day Eleven - A Song From Your Favorite Band

Day Eleven - A Song From Your Favorite Band
Talk Talk
"I Believe In You"

Again, I don't have a ultimate favorite anything when it comes to music. There are usually many bands floating around the top of my favorites, so I am sort of at a loss as to how to choose something this definitive. In the spirit of the challenge, I will have to say at this moment it is the long defunct Talk Talk. I loved them during their new romantic period, their synth pop period, and the later (and much more beloved by me) experimental phase, when they stretched the boundaries of rock/jazz/electronica. If you haven't heard their last three albums (Colour Of Spring, Spirit Of Eden, and Laughing Stock), you are truly missing out on some amazing music.

Spirit of Eden is one of my favorite albums ever, and "I Believe In You" is by far my favorite song. It is haunting cry to Mark Hollis' brother who died of a heroin overdose. The ending repetition of the phrase "Spirit.....How long?" will give you chills.